Pediatric Pioneers Episode 3: How Can You Safely Maximize Occupation and Quality of Life in Children With CHD?

In this episode, Nicole Schwam, occupational therapist and expert in cardiac care for infants and toddlers, joins Nicole Quint to explore the critical role occupational therapists play in supporting children with congenital heart defects (CHD). Nicole shares her personal journey with a heart condition and how it has shaped her career, alongside valuable clinical insights for occupational therapy practitioners across settings. Together, we discuss the unique challenges these children face as well as the actionable strategies practitioners like you can use to maximize children’s development long-term while considering their medical complexities. Tune in to discover how to safely enhance quality of life for children with CHD. Learning Objectives Interpret the evidence around congenital heart disease in infants, including developmental impairments and therapeutic interventions During the evaluation and intervention process, apply evidence-based, practical strategies to actionably address developmental impairments and occupational limitations related to congenital heart disease in infants Integrate current evidence-based practice while clinically reasoning and recognizing the medical complexity of infants with CHD Timestamps (00:00:00) Welcome (00:01:07) Introduction to guest (00:03:06) Personal Journey and Connection to Cardiac Care (00:06:46) Understanding Congenital Heart Defects (00:08:45) The Role of Occupational Therapy in Cardiac Care (00:13:41) Research Insights and Developmental Delays (00:17:52) Family-Centered Care and Its Importance (00:19:40) Translating Research into Practice (00:24:21) Interprofessional Collaboration in Pediatric Care (00:28:46) Actionable Takeaways for Practitioners (00:31:01) Clinical Reasoning Process for Implementing Care (00:46:50) Final Thoughts and Words of Wisdom Pediatric Pioneers is brought to you by Medbridge. If you’d like to earn continuing education credit for listening to this episode and access bonus takeaway handouts, log in to your Medbridge account and navigate to the course where you’ll find accreditation details. If applicable, complete the post-course assessment and survey to be eligible for credit. The takeaway handout on Medbridge gives you the key points mentioned in this episode, along with additional resources you can implement into your practice right away. If you’d like to subscribe to Medbridge, visit https://www.medbridge.com/pricing/